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Chief Da'i
"Whoever you may be, dread to appear before him who holds the life and death of kings in his hands." - A Syrian Assassin Herald Da'i 'd-Du'at or Chief Da'i was a rank in the Assassin Order. In Syria, Cheif Da'is were given the title Old Man of the Mountain '''or '''Sheikh Al-Jibal because they had a similar role to the Lords of Alamut in Persia. To this, only the leading Da'is, who fully comprehend the real nature and aim of their doctrine, were initiated. At this point is introduced the dualistic doctrine of the Pre-existent and the Subsequent, which is destined ultimately to undermine the recruit's belief in the Doctrine of the Divine Unity. While Mohamed ibn Kiya Buzurg was indeed the Lord of Alamut, he said "I am not the Imam but one of his da'is". This may mean that the first three Old Men of the Mountain were simply the public faces of the Nizari Ismaili State, while the Imams were the real rulers and the who ones ordered the assassinations. After the first three Grand Masters, the rest of the Assassin leaders were Imams. Thus, it may be that the Hassan-i Sabbah, Kiya Buzurg and his son Mohamed may have been Chief Da'is, while the hidden Imams were the real Lords of Alamut. Training "I should also tell you that the Old Man had certain others under him, who copied his proceedings and acted exactly in the same manner. One of these was sent into the Territory of Damascus, and the other into Kurdistan." - Marco Polo Here the doctrine is developed and applied, and the recruit is taught that above the Pre-existent and the Subsequent is a Being who has neither name, nor attribute, of whom nothing can be predicted, and to whom no worship can be rendered. This Nameless Being seems to represent the Zerwan Akanana ('Boundless Time') of the Zoroastrian system, but...some confusion exists here, and different teachings were current among the Isma'ilis, which, however, agreed in this, that, to quote Nuwayri's expression, 'those who adopted them could no longer be reckoned otherwise than amongst the Dualists and Materialists'. The recruit is also taught that a Prophet is known as such not by miracles, but by his ability to construct and impose in a kind of system at once political, social, religious, and philosophical...He is further taught to understand allegorically the end of the world, the Resurrection, Future Rewards and Punishments, and other eschatological doctrines. Role "Bahram lived in the greatest secrecy and seclusion, changing his dress and appearance so cleverly that he moved through the cities and strongholds without anyone suspecting his identity." - a Damascene chronicler describing a Chief Da'i's mastery of disguise A Chief Da'i would be the Assassin assigned to capture multiple castles, be a chief subordinate for a region, the Grand Master's vizier or even part of his inner circle or council. This includes being the propaganda organizer or the military commander. Chief Da'is in Persia would sometimes organize and plan out assassinations, such is the case with Muzaffar bin Muhammad. Chief Da'is were the direct representatives of the Imam, the exalted spiritual leader of the Hashashin. Chief Da'is Syria Persia * Abu Hamza Kafshger, seized two castles in the vicinity of Arrajan for the Assassins * Attash, second Hashashin Lord of Arrajan * Dihdar Abu-Ali of Ardistan, Kiya Buzirg's propaganda organizer * Hassan son of Adam of Oasran, Kiya Buzirg's vizier * Kiya Ba-Ja'fer, Kiya Buzirg's military commander * Muzaffar bin Muhammad, organized the assassination of Kizil Arslan * Kamaluddin Kohistani, trained Rashid Ad-Din Sinan Trivia * The Syrian Chief Da'is may not have held the title of "Lord of Alamut" but they played a very similar role. The Syrian branch of the Assassins was mostly independent from it's Persian counter-part. * According to Marco Polo, there was a Chief Da'i who occupied Kurdistan and acted in "the same manner" as the Lord of Alamut. Category:Ranks